101 things I'm thankful for

In random order ...

1. Fat novels with great characters
2. Spellcheck
3. Spring
4. Coffee
5. Crescent moons
6. My kids
7. Mobile email
8. Van Gogh
9. Disposable pans
10. Dogs
11. Elastic waistbands
12. The Portable Dorothy Parker
13. HBO
14. Ethan's smile
15. My book contract
16. Chocolate-covered halvah
17. Libraries
18. My parents
19. Cardigans
20. Online friends
21. Offline friends
22. Beatles songs
23. Diet Coke
24. Fan Mail
25. Emma's voice
26. Erasers
27. My denim jacket
28. Modern Family
29. The daily Cryptoquote
30. Discount coupons
31. Dimmer switches
32. The DVR
33. Compliments
34. Air conditioning
35. Modern medicine
36. Max's memory
37. My GPS
38. Lunch with friends
39. Red wine
40. Lactaid
41. The sunlight at Jones Beach
42. Blurbs
43. Art Museums
44. Back rubs
45. Air Travel
46. Everyday heroes
47. Readers
48. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert
49. Birthday cake
50. Reading glasses
51. Gorgeous sentences
52. Good hair days
53. Modern hygiene
54. Enthusiasm
55. Generosity
56. Digital photography
57. Annie Hall (still)
58. Mike's hugs
59. Autosave
60. Veterans
61. The First Amendment
62. WiFi
63. Bookstores
64. Hot showers
65. My laser printer
66. Power naps
67. My netbook
68. Nassau Suffolk Services for the Autistic
69. Cotton
70. American soldiers
71. Search engines
72. Push-up bras
73. Reasonableness
74. The sunrise
75. Potato latkes
76. Online banking
77. Sarcasm
78. Backyard barbecues
79. Luggage wheels
80. Antibiotics
81. Scrabble
82. Chocolate Truffles
83. The Marx Brothers
84. Signed books
85. Summer nights
86. Seinfeld reruns
87. The Atlantic Ocean
88. Meeting authors
89. Fresh starts
90. The Internet
91. Family dinners
92. NPR
93. Hope
94. Heating pads
95. Laughter
96. Reunions
97. Thai food
98. Hearing from old friends
99. Indoor plumbing
100. Love
101. Blog readers

Friday Update 11/19

Things seems pretty quiet on the publishing front this week. I guess the industry is getting ready for Thanksgiving hibernation. On my end, it was mostly work, work, work, getting pages written on FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER and gearing up for the launch of THE OTHER LIFE. And yesterday was my birthday, which I celebrated quietly with the family ... just the way I like it.

So, just a few reminders ...

• If you haven't signed up for my newsletter mailing list, I hope you'll do so now ... especially since you could win a pretty cool t-shirt. See the blog entry below for details.

• If you're a writer in the New York/Long Island area, I hope consider coming to PITCHAPALOOZA at Book Revue on 12/2. I think it's going to be a blast.

• The laundry's been piling up this week ... and so have the emails. So if you're waiting to hear from me on something, my apologies. I'm trying hard to catch up!

• Did a little fall cleaning on my website, so check it out if you have a chance.

• Have you bookmarked and/or subscribed to THE GIRLFRIENDS BOOK CLUB blog? It's a joint effort of a big group of women authors, and I think you'll like it.

• Big-shout and thanks to my Facebook, Twitter and CafeMom friends for the birthday wishes!

Have a great weekend ...

T-shirt giveaway!

click image for larger view

The pub date for THE OTHER LIFE is getting close, and I'm doing a special giveaway to boost my mailing list ...

 Click here to sign up for it and you will automatically be entered in a drawing for this very cool t-shirt. (Note that I have them available in both men's and women's styles.)

FYI, you'll get a confirmation email after you sign up, and you have to click through when you get that. If you don't see it within seconds, check your spam filter. (Also, be sure to use this link, and not the feedburner widget on this blog--that's a different list.)

Go for it!
Note that I send out very few mailings and don't share my list with anyone, so you have nothing to lose. Besides you could unsubscribe at any time. (But I hope you don't!)

If you're already on my mailing list ...
I didn't forget about you! Just link this blog entry on any site, or send it to friends in an email, and leave a comment below letting me know what you did. That's it ... you'll be entered in a t-shirt drawing, too!

Hurry!
This offer is good through November 30, 2010. Hope you'll sign up today! Click here.

Friday Update 11/12

Happy Friday! I've been busy working on FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER and trying to get my ducks in a row for the launch of THE OTHER LIFE. Here's the latest ...

• Got my ARCs (advance review copies) for THE OTHER LIFE on Tuesday! This is the part where it starts to feel real, so I'm pretty damned excited, especially since they look magnificent. A huge shout-out to the very talented Lisa Amoroso, who designed the jacket, and Meighan Cavanaugh, who designed the book. And of course, to my sage and savvy editor, Rachel Kahan, who directs the whole thing.

• Here's something fun for all my local writer friends--on Thursday, December 2, there's a fabulous event at Book Revue called PITCHAPALOOZA! It's like American Idol for aspiring authors. You get one minute to pitch your book idea to a panel of judges. I'll be one of them, playing the role of either Simon or Paula. Or maybe Randy, dawg. Click here for more info.

• Did a book talk this week to the ladies at my temple's sisterhood. Great group, and I got to chance to do my first public reading from THE OTHER LIFE.

• The sisterhood event coincided with my wedding anniversary, so Mike and I celebrated the Sunday prior at Jonathan's Ristorante in Huntington. One of our favorite places.

• FYI, Maria Geraci has a wonderful new book coming out next month, and I hope you'll check it out. It's called THE BOYFRIEND OF THE MONTH CLUB. Also, I think she's going to be doing a really good giveaway on her blog soon, so be sure to bookmark it.


Have a great weekend!

Friday Update 11/5

Some news and highlights ...

• The big news is that the pub date for THE OTHER LIFE was pushed to February 17. It was done for all the right reasons, though of course I'm kind of disappointed that it's delayed yet again. But that's my impatience. It's really a better slot for the book.

• Naturally, that means the launch party/book talk had to be moved. Big thanks to Julianne at Book Revue for being so understanding and letting me switch the date to February 18. Hope you can join me! Click here to see the online invite.

• Today I'm going to place an order for promotional t-shirts for the book, designed and paid for by yours truly. The picture shows the unisex version, but I'll be making women's shirts as well. (click image for larger view).

FYI, I recommend the company, ooShirts, to anyone who needs Custom Shirts.

• If you read my blog yesterday, you know that the MILK & INK anthology is now available for purchase, and makes a great gift for moms or any reader on your holiday list. You can get it from amazon.com or Outskirts Press.

• According to my editor, the bound galleys of THE OTHER LIFE have arrived. Haven't seen my copies yet but I'm stoked.

• Also excited to learn that the book will be entered in the Amazon Vine program.

• Huge thanks and shout-out to all the friends who tweeted and blogged about THE OTHER LIFE this week, including Anita Beall, Eros-Alegra Clarke, Myfanwy Collins, Susan DiPlacido, DragonRiderMD, Cliff Garstang, Liz Michalski and Jill Thomas. (If I missed anyone, please let me know!)

• And one final shout-out to Rik Kellerman of Ten Tigers Kung Fu Academy for helping me fill in the gaps in my work-in-progress, FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER.

Announcing THE MILK & INK ANTHOLOGY!

Friends, a few months ago I was honored and thrilled to be invited to submit a story to a brand new motherhood anthology called Milk & Ink (edited by Eros-Alegra Clarke, Jordan Rosenfeld, Nina Perez and Tomi L. Wiley). The contributor list is truly impressive and best of all, the proceeds go to an important cause called Mama Hope. Here's a snippet from the press materials ...

Milk & Ink is here now! This anthology of stories, essays and poems by writing mothers celebrates the intensity of being both mother and writer. It also will inspire all to recognize the power of living true to your passions and life purpose.


Milk &\ Ink focuses on the experience of motherhood, but it also speaks to everyone: fathers, daughters, and sons. This anthology, not only in its stories, but in its creation and promotion, seeks to acknowledge the need we have for one another.


Proceeds of the project will be donated to Mama Hope, which supports women and children in Africa in a variety of projects.To purchase copies you may visit one of the following links:


Amazon.com


Outskirts Press

I think you'll love this book. And I know it'll make a great holiday gift for any reader on your list.

A little help from my friends?

As it gets close to pub date for THE OTHER LIFE, I'm asking friends to help spread the word, and in return I'm offering prizes. I just awarded someone the signed manuscript, and this week's giveaway is a copy of E.L. Doctorow's BILLY BATHGATE, signed by the author.

Click here to read more and get involved.

Thanks!